A Historical Journey Through Heritage : It is a country with colossal diversity in culture and a rich historical background, comprising 28 states, all of which have different meanings for the word behind their naming. Most often, these names relate to the geography, history, or cultural heritage of the specific regions. Here is an exciting look at the fascinating key etymologies of India’s states.
Northern and Himalayan States
Himachal Pradesh: Hindi-Himachal Pradesh means “home of snowy mountains.” The land is characterized by snowy peaks, extensively famous for its snowy peaks and regular snowy mountain ranges.
Uttarakhand: Previously Uttaranchal, the state has connotations with northern lands: northern place as applicable to geography besides being inspired spatiotemporally as a religious significance in India.
Punjab: Punjab is derived from the Sanskrit words Punj meaning five and Ab, referring to river in this case, “land of five rivers,” Beas, Ravi, Sutlej, Chenab, and Jhelum.
Haryana: The word derives the combination of Hari meaning Lord Vishnu/krishna with the idea of “coming” Ana as in visit when associated with Lord Krishna’s visit at Mahabharata times.
Jammu & Kashmir: (Note: Now it’s part of Union Territory) Jammu is popularly said to be named after Raja Jambu Lochan as per the popular legend, while Kashmir stands from the Sanskrit Kashyap-Mira with the meaning of “the land of Kashyap Sage.
Regions from Central and West India
Rajasthan:
Formerly, Rajputana (“Land of Rajputs”), that is, ‘royal heritage’, from Raja meaning king.
Madhya Pradesh:
Meaning Central Province (Madhya meaning central) because of its location.
Gujarat:
Gujarat refers to Gujjars, which means Land of Gujjars. The word is based on the tribe Gujara that ruled in this region around the 7th-8th century.
Maharashtra:
From Maha (great) and Rashtra (nation) in Sanskrit, this means ‘Great Nation’ in historical significance.
Chhattisgarh:
Meaning “Thirty-Six Forts” (Chhattis and Garh), it references the 36 forts historically found in the region.
Eastern and North-Eastern State:
Odisha: It goes by this name derived from the Sanskrit term Odra Vishaya or Odra Desa which actually refers to ancient people of India, that is Odras.
West Bengal: The name evolved from Vanga in Sanskrit and went through the stages of Persian (Bangalah), Hindi (Bangal), and Bengali (Bangla) and indicates the linguistic diversity in the state.
Assam: The name is derived from Ahom rulers together with the Indo-Aryan word Asama (“uneven”) and refers to its hilly terrain. A Historical Journey Through Heritage
Tripura: According to some versions Tripura takes its name from Tripura Sundari (a Hindu goddess), Tui meaning water and Para meaning nearby, or from King Tripur, who once ruled in that area. A Historical Journey Through Heritage
Nagaland: Referring to that Nasaka pierced nose Burmese, the “Land of Nagas”.
Meghalaya: This is “Land of Clouds” i.e. Megha and Alaya according to Sanskrit, which defines the state as its misty landscapes.
Mizoram: From Mi (people) and Zo (highlander), Mizoram means “Land of the Hill People”.
Manipur: In Sanskrit, it means “Land of Jewels”. In that sense, it represents the rich culture it valued.
Sikkim: In a sense, it combines Limbu words Su (new) and Khyim (palace) in meaning “New Palace.”
Arunachal Pradesh: Those words together mean the “Mountains of the Light of Dawn”. That is born out of the fact that Arun means dawn, and Achal means mountain thus because being in the easternmost point of India.A Historical Journey Through Heritage
Southern States:
Tamil Nadu: Tami meaning nectar and nadu meaning land coalesce to form “land of Tamils,” emphasizing its linguistic and cultural identity.
Kerala: The name, evolved as Chera-Alam and Cheralam over time, is, historically, referred to an association with the Chera dynasty.
Karnataka: Karu meaning lofty and Naad injected into the land and alluding to its elevation on the Deccan Plateau.
Andhra Pradesh: The ancient Andhra tribes that lived here are remembered by the name. Its origin is Sanskrit Andhra meaning South.
Telangana: Purporting to mean “three Shiva Lingas,” it suggests that there were ancient Shiva temples at Srisailam, Kaleshwaram, and Draksharamam in the area.
Goa: Its origin as Goa remains contested. Some ascribe it to Go meaning cow in Sanskrit, others argue for a European derivation during Portuguese rule. A Historical Journey Through Heritage
Bihar and Jharkhand
Bihar : Bihar is An account deriving from Vihara (Pali meaning ‘monastery’), connecting with Buddhist monks.
Jharkhand: Jharkhand, which means “Land of Forests,” combines Jhar (forest) and Khand (land).
Conclusion
These names of 28 states of India are an epitome of the elaborate history, diversity of cultures, and geographical wonder in the country. Every name has a tale that brings India’s modernity back to ancient times, thus weaving a fabric of heritage and pride.
Animation slices each suffix and overlays. By far, -PUR/PURA is most common, followed by -GAON.
— Stats of India (@Stats_of_India) September 28, 2022
• -HALLI most common in Karnataka.
• -PALLE/PALLI in Telugu states.
• -PURAM, -URU/OOR mostly in South.
• -WADI (Maha), -PATTI (TN & Bihar), -ONG (NE)
• -NAGAR, -ABAD spread out. pic.twitter.com/fGP55KCSO6